This invention relates to an amusement device which can serve as an aid in promoting relaxation. There are a number of activities, usually performed in a sedentary position at a desk, that humans engage in to relieve minor stress and tension. Some examples are (1) tapping on a pad with a pencil (2) stretching a rubber band between the thumbs to hear and feel the low frequency vibrations (3) doodling on a scratch pad (4) twisting paper clips (5) manually squeezing malleable objects, among many others.
The present invention belongs to this kind of activity and comprises a hard smooth ball with a decorative coating simulating the 8-ball in the game of pocket billiards. The ball is smaller than a billiard ball and is of a size to be held in the palm of the hand.
A number of balls have been invented which are distantly related to applicant's invention U.S. Pat. No. 1,286,657 issued Dec. 3, 1918 to J. P. Lambert shows a billiard ball with six symmetrically placed numerals on the surface. U.S. Pat. No. 2,003,957 issued Jun. 4, 1935 to M. B. Salisbury shows a hard rubber ball with a sounding device mounted within the interior. A plug is permanently mounted on the ball after the sounding device is inserted within the hollow of the ball.
While the above patents teach isolated features of the invention, the prior art does not teach a simulated 8-ball with a sounding device mounted in the interior.